Stanfield Professor of International Peace Robert O. Keohane, whose wife Nannerl O. Keohane was recently appointed president of Duke University, has scheduled interviews this week with both Duke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Government Department Chair Susan J. Pharr said last month, at the time of the appointment, that Robert Keohane assured her he would continue teaching at Harvard. Pharr said Keohane planned to commute between Cambridge and Durham, N.C.

But John Aldrich, chair of Duke's political science department, confirmed last night that the school plans to interview Keohane later this week in Durham.

The University of North Carolina's political science department chair, David Lowery, said last night that Keohane also will visit their campus at the end of February.

Keohane could not be reached for comment yesterday, but Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles said he had no reason to believe Keohane would accept a Duke appointment.

"I am delighted to say that, as far as I know, Professor Keohane is going to remain with us at least for the coming academic year," Knowles said.

Although Aldrich would not predict precisely what post Duke will offer Keohane, he said it would "obviously be a tenured position."

"He'd certainly be offered a full professorship, possibly a named professorship or a chair," said Aldrich. "He is an extraordinarily prominent scholar in the field of international relations."

Similarly, Lowery said that the University of North Carolina's department will have a "senior position" open for Keohane.

Keohane's colleagues said that his departure would leave a gap in Harvard's international relations field.

A Keohane move to Duke would be a "serious loss" to the Harvard government department, said Thomson Professor of Government Harvey C. Mansfield.

"He's one of our kingpins," Mansfield said. "We would just have to replace him as best we could."

Keohane's departure would exacerbate the department's loss of Dillon Professor of International Affairs Joseph S. Nye Jr., who says he will "probably" take a job in the Clinton administration. [See related story, this page.]

Keohane, who chaired the department last year, is most well-known for his book After Hegemony: Cooperation and Discord in the World Political Economy.